Japanese mobile phone monitors skin condition

A model demonstrates how to take pictures of her face with a smartphone to check her skin condition during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday.

Photo: AFP

A mobile phone that monitors the user’s skin condition, checking for blemishes and color, was unveiled in beauty-conscious Japan yesterday.

The “Hada Memori” (skin memory) program allows users to keep tabs on their complexion and track changes over time by storing records online.

Users can also share their data through social networking sites, said IT giant Fujitsu, which plans to use the information to target advertising of beauty products.

A spokeswoman said the skin system comes with a small card that has a 15mm hole, which must be pressed to the cheek. The smartphone’s camera then takes a picture of the skin and analyses the result.

The Hada Memori is the first of a series of devices that will measure users’ stress levels, exercise habits and quality of sleep, helping the company gather a significant pool of health data which it can then sell on.

“We will be able to offer the data to service providers eventually,” said Hayuru Ito, senior manager of Fujitsu’s strategic planning division.

Fujitsu is aiming to have 1 million users of the system in the next two years.

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